Wardrobe case with foldable garment support



July 14, 1931. J. RITTER, JR 5 WARDROBE CASE WITH FOLDABLE GARMENT SUPPORT Filed Feb. 17 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEYJ July 14, 1931; R TE R 1,813,955

WARDROBE CASE WITH FOLDABLE GARMENT vSUPPORT Filed Feb. 17 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JULIUS BITTER, JR, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR- T HARTMANN TRUNK COM- PANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN WARDROBE CASE WITH FOLDABLE GARMENT SUPPORT Application filed February 17, 1930. Serial No. 429,102.

This invention relates to improvements in wardrobe cases with foldable garment supports.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a wardrobe case, comprising a pair of complementary sections and having foldably 'mounted within one section a foldable garment support which will support and fold garments in a novel and compact mannerand arranged for projection out of the section when the case is open to facilitate the packing of garments, and also foldable compactly into the section, and arranged, when folded into the section, to neatly, compactly fold garments supported or draped thereon. g

A further object of the invention is to provide a wardrobe case having a foldable garment support which is arranged to receive and fold full length garments in a manner so that they will be held entirely within one of the wardrobe case sections so as not to project or depend into the other case section. V

A further object of the invention is to provide a foldable garment support for wardrobe cases having a cooperating garment folding and pressure bar movable into and out of operative position, and adapted, when in its operative position, to engage medial portions of garments held by the support to hold the same firmly and compactly against .the rear inner wall of the.

section in which the support is mounted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wardrobe case with a foldable garment support which is of very simple construction, is strong and durable, is easily manipulated, and is well adapted for the purposes described. 7

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved ward robe case with a foldable garment support, and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a wardrobe case in open position and having a garment support mounted in the cover section, said support being in folded position, the view being indicated on line l-1 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 only showing thegarment support in its extended or projected position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, detail, fragmentary view, partly in section, of the free end portion of an arm of the support showing the detachable engagement of the end portion of the support bar therewith;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional viewtaken on line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of a wardrobe case in open position having a modified form of garment support with said support shown in folded posipii on, 8the view being taken on line 66 of Fig. 7 is a view similarto Fig. 6 only showing the garment support in its extended or projected position and Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings and particularly. to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 .to 5 inclusive, it will appear that the wardrobe case includes in general a substantially square body section '10, U- shaped in cross-section, and a shallower, substantially square cover or wardrobe-section 11, also U-shaped in cross-section and hingedly connected to the body-section.

The body section 10 is formed of a bottom .12, a relatively narrow front 13, a somewhat higher rear 14, and opposed forwardly, downwardly inclined sides between the front and the rear. The interior of said body section is divided by a tran verse partition 16, positioned relatively close to the front 13, into a narrow front compartment for shoes and small articles of apparel, and a large rearward compartment for hats and other articles.

The hinge connection for the case sections is between the upper edge of the rear wall 14 of the body section and a narrow rear is extended upwardly as shown.

flange 17 of the cover section. In addition to said flange 17 said cover section includes a flat top 18, a front 19, somewhat higher than the rear flange 17, and a pair of opposed sides 20 between the flange 17 and the front 19, said sides being rearwardly or inwardly tapered.

Pivotally or foldably mounted with respect to the cover section 11 is a clothes rack comprisin a pair of arms 21 having angularly extending inner or attaching end portions 21 pivotally attached to opposite inner portions of the sides 20, near the front flange 19, by pivot bolts 22. The free end portions of said arms are joined by a garment bar 23 and said garment bar is detachable from the arms when desired. The detachable engagement between the garment bar and the ends of the arms is illustrated in detail in Figs. 1 and and it will appear tl at the cut. portions of the garment bar carry metal caps 24- held thereon by screws 25, and each cap is formed with a reces 26. The end portion of each arm 21 is of forked or bifurcated form with a medial slit 27 therein and when the garment bar is in position the free bifurcated end portions of the arms 21 extend into the recesses 26 of the metal caps 2 and there is a wedging engagement between the bifurcated arm ends and the shanks of the screws 25, as illustrated. T 0 remove the garment bar it is merely necessary to pull the so to free tie bifurcated arm ends from the screws and withdraw the bar from said arm ends. The outer ends of said arms 21 are also joined by a U-shaped supporting bar 28.

Adapted to cooperate with the clothes rack primarily in its folded position is a garment folding and pressure member which comprises a pair of arms 29 pivotally secured at their inner end portions to opposite inner surfaces of the sides 20 of the cover section and relatively close to the flange 17 of said section. The outer ends of said arms 29 are secured to end portions of a transverse pressure bar 30.

In open position of the wardrobe case the sections are disposed with respect to each other as shown in the drawings and rearward movement of the cover section is limited by a pair of opposite flexible straps or stays 31 secured at their end portions to portions of the cover section and the body section respectively. In packing the wardrobe or cover section the garment folding and pressure member is dropped to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the clothes rack This arrangement permits full length garments to be folded or hung over the bar the arrangement being such that in this. position the bar 23 engages substantially medial portions of the garments with the end portions thereof hanging down equally within the cover section. Also, in this position garments may be thrown from the bar 23 onto the U-shaped supporting bar 28, assuming the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This position permits inspection of the garments or temporary displacement from the bar 23 for access to garments which were covered or underneath. However, for packing, the garments are disposed on the bar 23 as previously described, and when the desired number of garments have been so hung, the garment folding and pressure member is folded upwardly so that its bar 30 medially engages the suspended garments between their upper folds and their lower free ends. Next, the garment rack is folded downwardly into the confines of the cover section and the garments thereon are again folded medially over the bar 30- of the folding and pressure member and the dis 0- sition of the clothes rack and the foldlng and pressure member is as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, all within. the confines of the cover section, neatly folding full length garments so that they will be completely contained within the cover section, and the pressure of the bar 30 folds the garments as tightly as is practical against the rear 18 of the cover section and prevents displacement and wrinkling. There is also provided a pair of fabric or flexible ties 32 which may be secured across medial portions of the folded garments. 5

After the garment rack has been packed and folded as described, and the folding and pressure member moved into operative position, the wardrobe case may be closed in the usual manner and complementary latch members 33 releasably hold the two sections in closed position. A handle 34 is provided for covenience in carrying the closed case.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 a modification'of the invention is illustrated. In this form of the invention the cover or wardrobe section 11 is fitted with a clothes rack, as in the principal form, comprising pivotally mounted arms 21 having their free ends connected by a removable garment bar 23. Brackets 28 are mounted at an inclination on the arms 21 inwardly of the bar 23. The garment folding and pressure member comprises a pair of arms 29 pivotally secured at their inner end portions to medial portions of the arms 21.

In open position of the wardrobe case for packing or unpacking the parts should be disposed as shown in Fig. 7 wherein the garment rack is disposed upwardly and the folding and pressure member is swung upwardly and rearwardly and is supported in an inclined rearward position by the brackets 28'. Full length garments are then folded medially over the bar 23 and'hang too downwardly along the length of the cover section as shown in dotted lines. From this position, for inspection or access, some of the garments may be swung over the bar However, with all of the garments on the bar 23 when the case is to be closed the folding and pressure member is first swung for-' wardly downwardly and the bar 30' will engage medial portions of the once-folded garments. Then when the garment rack is swung downwardly into the confines of the cover section the garments will be again folded, over the bar 30, and the twicefolded garments will be completely disposed entirely within the cover section. The case is closed as before described.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved wardrobe case with the foldable garment support provides an arrangement for compactly folding and holding full length garments entirely within one section of a wardrobe case. In addition the foldable garment support can be disposed, when the case is open, for ready access for packing and inspection of garments and the support, when moved into folded position within its section, automatically folds apparel thereon. The device is also simple, is easily manipulated, and is well adapted for the purposes described.

Vhat is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a luggage case including a pair of hingedly connected sections, a clothes rack pivotally mounted within one of said sections and foldable therein lengthwise of the the section.

2. In a luggage case including a pair of hin edl connected sections a clothes rack b n I 7 u 0 pivotally mounted within one section ad acent its free end portion and foldable within said section lengthwise of the same and movable outwardly of said section to an no wardly projecting position, and a pivotally mounted garment folding and pressure member movable to a position within the confines of said section and engageable in said position with portions of garments folded over the clothes rack to cause said garments to again fold for entire accommodation with in said section when the clothes rack is folded thereinto.

3. In a luggage case including a pair of hingedly connected sections, a clothes rack pivotally mounted within one section adjacent its free end portion and foldable within said section lengthwise of the same and movable outwardly of said section to an upwardly projecting position, said clothes;

rack comprising a pair of opposed arms and a garment bar removably mounted on the free endportions of the arms, and a pivotally mounted garment Vfoldin and pressure member movable to a POSlt-lOIl, within the confines of said section and engageable in said position with portions of garments foldedover the clothes rack to cause said garments to again fold for entire accommowardly projecting position, and a garment I folding and pressure member foldably mounted with respect to said section and foldable entirely into or out of said section and adapted in its inner position to engage portions of garments folded over the clothes rack to cause said garments to again fold for entire accommodation within said section when the clothes rack is folded thereinto,

said garment folding and pressure member comprising a pair of opposed arms and a bar joining the free end portions of the same.

5. In a luggage case including a pair of hingedly connected sections, a clothes rack pivotally mounted within one section adjacent its free end portion and foldable within said section lengthwise of the same and movable outwardly'of said section to an upwardly projecting position, said clothes rack comprising a pair of opposed arms and a garment bar removably mounted on the free end portions of the arms, and a garment folding and pressure member foldably mounted with respect to said section and foldable entirely into or out of said section and adapted in its inner position to engage portions of garments folded over the clothes rack to cause said garments to again fold for entire accommodation within said section when the clothes rack is folded thereinto, said garment folding and pressure member comprising a pair of opposed arms and a bar joining the free end portions of the same.

6. In a luggage case including a compartmental body section having slanting sides so as to be higher at one end than at the opposite end, and a flanged cover section hinged to the free edge of the higher end of the body section and having its side flanges reversely slanted relative to the sides of the body section, a clothes rack pivotally mounted within the cover section and foldable therein lengthwise of the same and movable outwardly of the free end of said cover section, and a garment folding and pressure member foldably mounted with respect to said cover section and adapted in one position to engage portions of garments on the clothes rack and to cause the garments to fold when said clothes rack is folded into *5 the cover section.

7. In a luggagecase including a pair of hingedly connected sections, a clothes rack pivotally mounted within one section adjacent its free end portion and foldable 1'0 within said section lengthwise of the same and movable outwardly of said section to an upwardly projecting position, said clothes rack having a garment bar and an offset garment inspection bar, and a garment fold- 1 5 ing and pressure member foldably mounted within said section opposite the mounting of said clothes rack and foldable to a posi tion Within the confines of said section and engageable in said position with portions of go garments folded over the garment bar to cause said garments to again fold for entire accommodation within said section when the'clothes rack is folded thereinto.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

JULIUS BITTER, JR. 

